I Dream of the Sea
by feey
Summary: Sequel to Past Experiences. Link and Zelda have returned to Hyrule, now covered in water. Though all they want to do is find their children, the time of heroes is not yet over, esp now that an angry Sheikah seeks revenge. Finished, finally!
1. Minuet of the Forest

Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Wind Waker nor any other Zelda games.

--

Shi'ah 'a Jaz'win stared at the village before her. It had taken her years to find this place and the boy it housed. He was a young man now; it had been five years since Link had defeated Ganon, saved his sister, and said good-bye to the King of Hyrule. Shi'ah watched as the village's inhabitants did their evening chores, hissing silently when one came out of his house.

Shi'ah 'a Jaz'win was a Shiekah, one of the remaining few of the secretive race. Where once there had been one tribe, there were now two. One believed that the land had been deserted by the Hero of Time and had been left to Ganon's evil scheme because the Hero simply did not care. That was her tribe, and it boasted of having the successors of the Great Impa as its leaders, using this as proof that they were correct. The other tribe believed that the Hero could not come for one reason or another. They held the story of the Great Seal, which they said was created when the Hero and the Princess Zelda gave their bodies to save Hyrule by sealing Ganon. They held that since Ganon had not been able to subjugate the entire land, the Hero still cared and watched over Hyrule. It was to this tribe that the man she hissed at belonged to.

Orca looked around, sensing something amiss in the calm dusk air. A member of the Sheikah tribe, he had a self imposed duty to protect the two children that lived two houses down from him and the pirate princess. Cursing his failing eyesight, he continued on his walk, heading down to where Link and Aryll lived, when he could not find anything that could have been the source. He had been invited to dinner, to celebrate Tetra's arrival. Sturgeon, his brother, had been too busy with his latest research to be moved, though he sent his regards for the young woman. Aryll had hinted that the pirate would be staying for longer, but Orca was not sure how true it was. Link had been there, blushing madly, so his younger sister could have been teasing him for all Orca knew.

The two had grown up a lot since Orca first saw them; after all, it had been fourteen years. He had been with their grandmother when she found the two; Link was three and Aryll not even a year. The two were sitting just inside the forest of the far side of the island, protected by a strange looking basket. Aryll was crying, and Link was clutching onto a small pouch. In it were four items, two letters, an ocarina, and a golden chain with a ring, which had a strange design on it that Orca only later identified after showing it to his brother. It was an ancient Sheikah design, from before the time of the Hero of Time. A few years later, his brother finally confirmed that the ocarina that Link had was the Ocarina of Time. Because of the ring, the Hero was said to be part Sheikah, and the Ocarina, the two brothers had decided to keep an eye on the two children due to the high probability of them being related to the Hero. When Link had turned into being the Wind Waker, it had solidified the belief that Link was related to the Hero. The two letters that had come with the children were a source of frustration for Sturgeon. One was written in what he had identified as ancient Hylian, yet he could not read it. The other letter would have him break out into curses whenever he tried to figure out what it was written in.

Shi'ah watched as Orca entered the house of the Hero's brats. She knew what the fighter and his brother did not, that the two were the children of the Hero of Time. She did not know who their mother was, but it did not matter to her. As she watched the house, she began to formulate a plan in her head. She could not just barge in and grab the boy, for the princess was there. She was still sworn to the Royal Family of Hyrule, which meant that she could not endanger the life of Tetra, the last member. She fingered the transporting device in her side pouch, smiling when she settled on a plan. She had been watching the house for days. The brat would come out to see Orca off. Then she would get him.

She could finally avenge her brother.

--

Zelda sighed, flopping down beside Link after her tour of the small island.

"It's useless," she breathed, "There's no way off this island. No one has seen the fire, and there's no way either of us can swim to that one on the left."

"And I have no ocarina," Link muttered, shading his eyes from the setting sun. He winced as his stomach complained, and Zelda looked over.

"It's still bugging you?" she asked, referring to last night's hasty dish of shellfish.

"I am never eating mussels again," he swore, wincing again after another stomach pang, "Or any shellfish for that matter." Zelda smiled, finding it a little amusing that the great Hero of Time, vanquisher of Ganon, was laid low by an unusual shellfish allergy.

"You're lucky Ganondorf didn't know about this," she chuckled, and Link glared weakly at her.

"Not funny Zel."

"Sorry," she smiled, brushing the hair off his forehead. "But you're cute when you're sick." Link sighed, letting the matter drop. He shifted so his head was resting on Zelda's stomach, and she looked down, smiling as she ran her fingers through his silvering hair.

"I don't think I've seen a sunset this pretty," he commented softly, looking at the sky. Zelda looked up and nodded.

"It's gorgeous. It's different than the ones in the desert, put just as pretty."

"I don't think I ever managed to see one in the desert. I was either in the temple or trying to get out of the cell I kept getting thrown in," Link commented dryly. "That complex was the only place I tripped in. And they heard me every single time." Zelda giggled.

"There are some perks to being female, especially when you're in Gerudo territory."

"As if you would know," Link retorted, "You were running around disguised as a man then."

"You must be feeling better," Zelda commented, "You're using sarcasm again." Link decided to refrain from commenting. There were perks to being sick as well.

A rumbling soon caught their attention, and Link sat up. It got progressively louder, and the island started shaking soon as well.

"What's going on?" Zelda shouted, clinging to his arm. Link shook his head, not even bothering to shout. Noticing something in the water, he pointed. A bridge was rising out of the water, and when it fully surfaced, they looked at it, amazed. It was made of roots, coiled around each other.

"It can't be," Link breathed, standing. "The Deku Tree…?" Zelda shrugged, standing as well. They walked over to it, jumping back when a little tree creature popped up.

"Hello!" it squeaked, "I'm Oakin! The Great Deku Tree sent me to get you! We're all really excited to see you again Link, though you look really old now!"

"Oakin?" Link asked, surprised. "What happened?"

"What?" Oakin asked, confused after being cut off.

"You look so different," Link said, remembering the orange haired Kokiri who had always been bullied by Mido into doing chores for him. He had been trying to clear the rocks in front of Mido's house when Link had gone to see the Deku Tree to begin his quest as Hero of Time. The little Korok chuckled and waved them on.

"That's cause we changed when the land was flooded! Now c'mon, the Deku Tree is waiting!" He bounced off, and Link shrugged and followed him, Zelda close behind.

The bridge led to the island on their left, which was covered in a forest.

"You can't go to that island," Oakin warned, pointing to the island on their right. "That's the Forbidden Woods; no one's supposed to go there."

"Is that where the Lost Woods were?" Link asked, realising that they were being taken to what was left of the Kokiri Forest.

"I think so. I never went in the Lost Woods, remember? That was all you and Saria. You guys were crazy." Link smiled at Oakin's comment.

"Yeah, I guess we were," he said softly.

"What?" Oakin asked, not hearing Link properly.

"Never mind. Is Mido still around?" Link asked, wanting to patch things up with the bossy Kokiri. Oakin stopped, shaking his head.

"Saria faded away when she had to leave. After that, Mido kinda lost it. He would wander around, not saying anything, not eating or drinking. Finally, he stopped showing up. The Deku tree said he had moved on, and that he was with Saria now."

"I… I see." Nodding sadly, the Korok started walking again. Zelda squeezed Link's shoulder, and he gave her a sad smiled before continuing on as well.

"Come on!" Oakin suddenly shouted, "The bridge can't stay up much longer!" He jumped into the air, the leaf on his head whizzing, keeping him midair. A faint rumbling could be felt, and Link grabbed Zelda's hand, pulling her along as he broke into an all out run.

They made it onto the forest island just as the bridge began to sink in. Link leaned on a tree, holding his stomach.

"Oww…" he muttered. Oakin looked up at him, concerned.

"What did you do? Eat a bad mushroom or something?"

"Shellfish," Zelda explained.

"Ooooh," Oakin said, "Don't worry; we'll get Bandam to make you something!"

"Oh joy," Link muttered, remembering Bandam's antics from when he was a Kokiri.

_"Psh, don't worry Link! This one won't explode!" Bandam explained eagerly, pushing his over sized hat out of his eyes._

_"Umm…" Link said, unsure. "Okay. Well, I promised Saria I would get her when you were ready to unveil your new creation, so I'll go get her now."_

_"Sounds good!" the eager young scientist said joyously. "I'll just pour this into here, and…" But Link was gone, running as fast as he could. He still got hit by flying tree bark as Bandam's latest experiment exploded. _

"Oh don't worry," Oakin giggled, realising where the expression on Link's face was coming from, "He only makes potions now. And he's really good. He even gave some to Link, and they helped a lot!" Stomach pain forgotten, Link stared at Oakin.

"Link was here?" Zelda asked. The Korok nodded, walking into the forest.

"Yeeeeeeeeap! But the Deku Tree wanted to tell you all about that, so c'mon! If we get there before he sends the others off to bed, we'll get to stay up late!" Zelda looked at Link, an eyebrow raised, at Oakin's last comment. Link shrugged sheepishly, following the little creature. He too was guilty of tricking the Deku Tree into letting the Kokiri stay up late.

"Stories are good things," he explained weakly, and Zelda rolled her eyes.

When they reached where the Deku Tree grew, all the Koroks were out, waiting for him.

"LINK!" They squeaked loudly, jumping around him. Laughing, Zelda stepped back.

"Lemme out!" Link shouted after a few minutes, "My stomach hurts!" The Koroks instantly calmed down, and one stepped forward.

"What did you do?" it asked authoritatively.

"Bandam?" Link asked. The Korok nodded and repeated his question. Sighing, Link answered.

"I ate some shellfish, but stopped when it started getting hard to breathe. Then my stomach clenched up."

"Psh, no problem," Bandam said, hopping over to where his potion ingredients were.

"No exploding potions please," Link called out, causing the others to snicker.

"No trust," Bandam muttered, handing Link a potion. Hesitating, Link drank it.

**_Now, let's explain what has happened here,_** the Deku Tree said, catching everyone's attention. The Koroks began jumping up and down again, begging to be allowed to stay up and listen. Smiling, the Deku Tree acquiesced. Excited, the Koroks sat beside Link and Zelda, who were now leaning against a mossy boulder, and listened to the story of the Wind Waker.

--

Shi'ah grinned as Link walked out with Orca, laughing at some joke that had been made. By now she had moved to the gable above the door and was in perfect position. Grabbing a smoke bomb from her pouch, she threw it right at Orca's feet. She was confident that she could get Link, but she wanted Orca out of the way. Despite the other Shiekah's age, she did not want to take chances.

The bomb exploded, and Orca shielded his eyes, shouting in surprise. Link had stumbled back, blinded by the smoke. Shi'ah could hear Tetra and Aryll moving inside to come and see what the commotion was about, so she moved quickly, jumping down and looping her sling around Link's neck.

"Don't move," she hissed. "Or I'll kill you and your brat of a sister." Link, who had his hands on the sling, slowly lowered them, standing stock still.

A high powered spin sent out a blast of air which blew away the smoke, and Shi'ah looked up to see Orca facing her, a spear in hand. It seemed he had kept one near by.

"Stay back," she hissed, "Or the boy dies. You don't want that, now do you, fish boy?" Scowling, Orca took a step back.

"Let him go," Orca thundered, "He's not the one you're looking for, traitor."

"Oh?" Shi'ah asked, arching an eyebrow as she smiled. "You haven't done your homework then. And the only traitor is this brat's father. He was the one that left the land."

"Let him GO!" Orca shouted, ready to launch himself forward. Link was ready to kick his captor in the shin for when that happened, but Shi'ah foiled them both by grabbing the transporter from her pouch and throwing it at her feet. The magical device surrounded them in smoke, depositing them in a dark room far from Outset Island.

Whipping the sling from around Link's neck, she kicked him to the ground.

"You're mine now."

--

A/N: So it was a lie that I was going to get farther in "High King" before I started this one. Oh well. And thanks everyone who was so kind to review at the end of "Past Experiences"!

Now review, and I'll update both stories quicker (I hope…)


	2. The Song of Time

I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

--

Orca snarled silently to himself as he watched Aryll dig through an overfilled drawer, searching for the ocarina and chain. Her brown eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill, and her mouth was set as she dug deeper and deeper. Tetra had run over to Orca's house to get Sturgeon and the two letters. Orca was certain that she would not be attacked due to her relation to the royal family of Hyrule, but he was not so certain of the fourteen year old girl. In the past ten minutes, he had cursed himself a million times, angry that he had not been able to stop Link's kidnapper.

"Found them," Aryll said quietly, holding up her prizes. They had been placed back in the box they were found in and then on the drawer's bottom. The box was made a deep brown wood, and it had the Triforce insignia on its lid. However, instead of the typical three gold triangles, there was one each of blue, green, and red for Nayru, Farore, and Din respectively. The middle triangle, normally left empty, was a silver colour, for Time.

"Come, we'll join Tetra and Sturgeon then," the old Sheikah said gently. Aryll nodded, the tears finally beginning to spill from her eyes.

"We'll get him back, right?" Orca nodded; glad that Aryll had not been able to understand the other Sheikah. He held the door open and then followed her out.

When they reached his house, papers were flying everywhere as Sturgeon hunted for the two letters. Tetra, standing out of the way in a corner, quietly explained to Orca that Sturgeon had misplaced the letters.

"What do you mean you've misplaced them?" Orca thundered, his patience snapping. "One of them could have been written by the Hero of Time!" Sturgeon shouted something back at him in Sheikah, still searching.

"Hero… of time?" Aryll asked softly. "But, I thought those letters were from our parents?" Tetra looked over as well, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"Does this have to do with that freak who took Link?" she demanded. Orca sighed.

"Yes. Aryll, I think yours and Link's father _was_ the Hero of Time."

"But he died eons ago," Aryll protested, confused.

"Not died, _disappeared_," Sturgeon corrected, holding up two envelopes triumphantly. "Here they are, though I still have no idea what they say."

"That's fine," Orca said, taking them before they were lost again, "From Link's tales of the Deku Tree, I think he'll be able to help us. Tetra," he said, turning to the girl, "How soon can you get us there?"

Pausing to think, Tetra sighed. "Without Link to guide the winds for us, about a week. A few days would be the quickest we could get there, but it could also take as long as two weeks. It all depends on the winds." Orca sighed, and Sturgeon looked troubled.

"You're sure this is another Sheikah?" he asked his brother, and Orca nodded. Tetra, when she was sent to get the letters, had been instructed by Orca to say it was a Sheikah who took Link.

"What is a Sheikah?" she asked.

"The Sheikah are a race of people, much like the Hylians. They are larger and generally more apt at arms, though not as skilled at magic. One of the seven sages from the time of the Hero of Time was a Sheikah, the Great Impa. Now, however, there are two tribes. There is the tribe that hates the Hero because they erroneously believe that he deserted Hyrule, leaving it prey to Ganon," Sturgeon explained. "That is the tribe this young lady is from, due to the sounds of it."

"The other tribe," Orca cut in, "Is the one we belong to." Tetra and Aryll stared at them in shock, and then in mild apprehension. Orca smiled wanly, "Don't worry; the reason the tribes spilt was over what the other tribe believed. As Sturgeon said, the Hero did not die, he disappeared. There is a tale that the Hero and the Princess Zelda, after sending away their Triforce pieces, went to another world, sealing the body and spirit of Ganon in the process."

"And this is what you believe?" Tetra asked cautiously.

"Yes," Orca answered, looking her in the eyes. "Now, how soon can we set sail?"

"Not until tomorrow, when the tide comes back in," Tetra said without pausing. "So what is this tale of the Hero of Time?" Orca looked at Sturgeon, indicating that his brother tell the tale.

"Well, there are many," he began, "So I'll tell the one that I have determined to be most true as you three start getting ready for the trip. Since you know the tale of how he defeated Ganon, I'll start it after Ganon was defeated, the first time he disappeared. Many think that the Hero lost the Triforce of Courage then, but many also disagree. I hold with the latter view as the Triforce of Courage does not simply _leave_ someone, nor can one lose it. This Triforce piece, more than the other two, must be earned. I believe that this is because while one can be born into a position of power or be born with a penchant for knowledge and wisdom, one is not born with courage. That is something that is gained over the course of one's life through the experiences that one goes through.

"From Hyrule it seems that the Hero went to Termina, a land connected to Hyrule through the mysterious Kokiri forest. Remember, the Hero grew up in the Kokiri forest, so he had a better knowledge of its paths than most. In Termina, a young man fought a demonic mask known as Majora's Mask. The boy is always referred to as the Mask Hero and as being about ten years old. I think that this error is due to the ravages of time and poor manuscript copying, for the Mask Hero and the Hero of Time is _clearly _the same person." Orca rolled his eyes at his brother's dramatic emphasis, causing Tetra to smile a bit. Sturgeon decided to ignore the two and continued on his tale.

"He then returned to Hyrule, if the Tale of the Seal is to be believed, which I deeply believe is to be so. The Sage Impa was sent to greet him, and the two were caught in a spell woven by three witch sisters that sent them back in time. This, more so than his battle with Ganon, gave the Hero his title. No one is really sure what happened during the months they were in the past, for neither the Sage nor the Hero spoke much of what happened. However, they returned and defeated Ganon's minion who had orchestrated their journey to the past. He was known as the Skull King.

"The Hero then returned to Termina; some sources say it is because he went to say good bye to his friends as he was now Sage of Time, and the Sages must reside in Hyrule. Others say it was to grieve, for his horse, and best friend, was killed in the battle. Which ever it is, for I have not determined that yet, he returned three years later, in time for a ball celebrating the rebuilding of Hyrule Castle Town.

"It was at this ball that Ganon broke from the seal put on him by the Seven Ancient Kings. The Hero and the Princess Zelda gave their bodies to reseal Ganon, and the Sages, five of them, gave their powers to complete the seal. That was when the Hero split the Triforce of Courage into eight parts and the Princess split that of Wisdom into two, giving one to the king, her father, and the other to his new heir. The Sages later died, one by one, and the Hero and Princess never appeared again."

--

Shi'ah smirked as she stared down at Link. The young man slowly scooted back a few feet before rising, his eyes never leaving her face.

"Who are you?" he asked. She did not answer, but lashed out with her foot, aiming for his jaw. He just barely dodged, and her foot hit his collar bone instead. Her smirk grew into a grin as she heard the soft crunch of the bone, and she straightened, watching Link gasp in pain.

He was tall and thin; gangly was a better word for it. They were about the same height, though Shi'ah had been this tall for years, while it looked like Link had just recently finished growing. His muscles, then, had not caught up with his bones.

"This is almost too easy," she muttered to herself, and Link's eyes darted up to stare at her.

"What?" she asked, patronizingly. "Can't do anything without your daddy's sword?"

"What do you mean?" Link growled, his eyes flashing in anger. Shi'ah smiled; this was where she wanted him. Now he would fight back; now she could instill the seeds of doubt that would turn him against the Hero of Time.

"You can't even defeat Ganon on your own," she leered, "You need to use your famous father's sword to seal the bastard. You even had to use his Triforce piece to gain the power necessary to fight Ganon. I don't even see why he got it; he's a traitor, leaving the land to become prey to Ganon." By now she was standing over Link again. Suddenly he lashed out with his legs, trying to knock her down. She let her legs be knocked out from under her, landing gracefully on her hands and pushing herself into a crouched postition.

"That won't work," she hissed, grinning, as she stared at the now standing Link. She launched herself up, hitting Link's chest with her shoulder as she pushed him to the nearest wall. Grabbing his hair, she pushed his head back while gently pushing her elbow on his broken collar bone. Link paled due to the pain, and Shi'ah laughed.

"Think about it, mighty hero," she crooned, "Your father was a traitor, and you had to use his sword and his power to seal your foe. You're pathetic, traitor's son." With that, she slammed his head against the wall, letting go as his eyes rolled back. She let his unconscious body fall to the ground and then took a thin white wand from his pocket. She took the Wind Waker and placed it on a shelf outside of the cell, in plain view due to the cell door's window. She then locked the cell door and the door that led to the room that the cell was in. She was confident that Link would not get out, as both doors could only be opened by the one who locked them due to the old magic in them. The complex that she lived in had been around since before the time of the Great Impa, and it still retained many of the magic that the Hylians who, working along with the Sheikah, had placed in it. This complex was one of the few places still remaining from before the Great Flood.

Smiling as she walked down the hallway to her room, Shi'ah pulled back her head wrap, letting her pale blonde hair fall out. It was in a tight braid, yet it still fell to the middle of her back. Silver streaks could be seen in it, as it was in the process of fading from the platinum like blonde to the characteristic silver of the Sheikah. Her dark skin was covered by the tight Sheikah uniform; a dark blue body suit with the Sheikah eye on it and a white shoulder cover that held numerous knives and throwing stars.

She was tall, by Hylian standards, and thin. At twenty one years, she commanded a great deal of respect from the Sheikah. She was the descendent of Impa, after all. Many whispered that she was on her way to becoming as great as the Great Impa herself. Shi'ah took in those comments, never acknowledging them, but taking strength from them none the less. She needed to, for her source of strength in the past, her brother, was gone.

The two had been captured during Ganondorf's short resurgence and sent to the dungeons under his castle. The cells were in horrible, squalid condition, and the guards were cruel imps with no ability to think. Screams from the other prisoners could be heard at all hours, especially those of the few Sheikah prisoners. Ganondorf had taken particular delight in torturing them.

She and her brother, Di'ath, had been lucky at first. Whenever an imp came in disguised as a rescuer, Di'ath had always been able to sense that it was truly an imp. He could see through the illusion spell on the creature. Ganondorf, after hearing countless tales of how the young Sheikah could not be fooled, had finally tired of it and ordered that Di'ath's eyes be poked out with a hot iron. Shi'ah was forced to watch as they chained her brother to the wall and then burned his eyes out. Ganondorf had been there, watching, with a smirk on his face.

When he left, he had turned to her and said, "If he doesn't survive the infection, make sure he tells that damned Hero of Time I said thanks." Shi'ah had spent nights after that, caring for her brother while praying to the goddesses and cursing the Hero of Time.

Then, a week later, when news came that Link would arrive soon, the cells were emptied. Those that were dead or almost dead, as her brother was, were sent to one part of the island while the others, herself included, were put on a boat and sent out to sea. Di'ath's eyes still had not stopped oozing pus, and he still had a fever. Despite her need to believe that he was still alive, Shi'ah knew that the chances were slim. He had either died of exposure or of the infection in his eyes.

When she had finally made her way back to her tribe's island, she made a solemn vow to draw the traitorous Hero out and make him pay for her brother's death. After determining that Link was the son of the Hero, she had her plan. The Hero would come out to save his son, and then she would cut him, deep inside, the way she had been when Ganondorf made her watch him kill her brother.

--

A few hours after Shi'ah had left, Link regained consciousness. His head felt like it had been split in two, and his collar bone ached. It was a dull ache that extended all the way down his right arm to his hand. Grimacing, he stood and walked around his cell. It was dark, but it was not damp. Walking over to the door, he cursed as he saw the Wind Waker sitting on a shelf, just out of his reach.

Snarling, he sat down with his back to the door so he would not be able to stare at the wand. His right arm he let hang to the ground, as his collar bone did not hurt as much when he did that. His other arm rested on his knees, and he gingerly set his head on that arm.

As his mind wandered, he was suddenly glad that his grandmother had passed away the previous year. Aryll's capture by the Helmorag King had been hard on her, and this would have killed her. The old woman had taken them in and cared for the two as if they were her own until she passed away silently in her sleep after a long illness.

His mind then turned to what his attacker had said about his father. Despite her constant referrals to the Master Sword being the sword of his father, Link did not believe her. The only other person that he knew of that used the sword was the Hero of Time, and there was no way that he could be the Hero's son. Even if the Hero had married and had a son, there was the slight problem in the length of time between now and when the Hero's son would have lived.

"That and he's no traitor," Link muttered to himself. His soft voice echoed in the small room, and the echo depressed him. He was alone, for the first time in his life. There was no Aryll waiting for him, no Tetra to harass him about his bad sailing skills, and no King of the Red Lions helping him out through the magic stone. Closing his eyes, Link clenched his left hand, trying to keep himself from crying.

_Whoever you are, father, please come. Please…_

--

A/N: Sturgeon was too much fun to write. Hope you like, and thanks for the reviews!


	3. Nocturne of Shadow

I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

--

Tetra sighed in relief when they finally made it to Forest Haven. They had been relatively lucky on the trip over; only one storm crossed their path. It had been just over a week since the group had left Outset Island, and her nerves were frayed from worrying about Link.

She, Aryll, and Orca had taken a small boat to the beach while the rest of the pirates waited on the ship. The vast majority of them were spooked by the island's ethereal demeanor, and Tetra did not blame them. There had always been an other-world feeling to the forest island, and today it was magnified by about ten.

"Something's off," Orca said, looking around.

"Something's always off," Tetra muttered, but she too looked around, on guard. Aryll inched closer to the elderly Sheikah, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Hurry, get back!" a small voice squeaked from the trees. They looked over to see two Koroks, hunched behind a protruding tree root.

"Get behind the trees!" one shouted, beckoning. The trio started to move towards the trees when suddenly they were surrounded by a ring of Stalfos and Wolfos. Gasping, Aryll clutched Orca's arm. Tetra swore under her breath, drawing her sword.

"_Kyyalt,_" one of the Stalfos said, holding its skeletal hand up. Tetra looked at Orca, her expression asking him if he understood the creature. He shook his head.

"_Gajjain a Link gra Ra Ganon."_ Tetra looked back at Orca, shocked at hearing the Stalfo say Link's name.

"_K'ap,_" a stern voice said, coming from the trees. The Stalfos and Wolfos all looked at the speaker, grinning. The word was repeated, and the monsters, still grinning, backed off.

"Get behind the trees; Oakin will lead you to the forest center," the voice commanded the three. Orca turned to see who was speaking, and he held back a gasp at seeing a well built man with silvering hair in a green tunic.

"That was an order, _Sheikah_," the man said, his blue eyes snapping when they did not move.

"Come," Orca said as he began to walk into the forest. Tetra held back, suspicious at the sight of the man, but a look from Orca had her move towards the forest as well. Just as she entered the forest and began to walk down the trail, Tetra heard the man say,

"Now what does Ganon have to say to me?"

--

In his dark cell, Link slept. He was cold and hungry, for all he had been given to eat in the past week was a few scanty meals, and the room was drafty. Shi'ah had come to visit once since the first time, and he now had a receding black eye.

_**Link,** a voice called in his dream, and he looked around, trying to find the speaker. He was in a gray world, full of mist and fog that somehow felt familiar. He was not cold though and relished the feeling of warm fingers and toes._

_**Here,** the voice said again, and he turned to see a tall woman standing before him. Her deep green hair was cut close, and it flowed in the slight breeze. Two earrings hung down from the tips of her ears; they were shaped like the Triforce. She wore a loose muslin shirt, and it was tucked in to a pair of tight pants, which looked like the type of pants called breeches that Sturgeon had once told him about. She wore knee high brown boots, which had iron nubs connected to them._

_**These are spurs. They are used for riding horses,** she said, noticing his confused look as he saw them._

_"Ah," he stammered, looking back up. "Umm… Who are you?"_

_**A friend,** she answered. **I know your father.** Link stared at her, shocked. He was about to ask a question when a sharp pain in his side caused the wind to be knocked out of him. The dream began to fade as he left it for the real world, and the woman smiled sadly._

_**I'll still be here, so don't worry. **_

_Then he was_ awake.

"Why in the hell can you sleep when I am haunted by nightmares and ghosts?" Shi'ah snarled, looking down at Link. He wondered if she was going to kick him again, but she just glared at him.

"Answer me!" she demanded, and Link sighed. _Either way I'm going to get the shit beat out of me,_ he thought before he answered her.

"Because it's all I have now." Shrieking in anger, Shi'ah grabbed his shirt front and hauled him up.

"What did you say?" she seethed, glaring at him. Link glared right back, while wondering what on earth caused him to say that.

"Or maybe it's because I don't call innocent people traitors!" he shouted, suddenly furious. He lashed out with his left hand, connecting with her cheek. She grabbed his hand with her free one, laughing.

"What were you going to do, eh?" she jeered. Snarling, Link threw his right hand towards her face, his fingers going for her eyes. He managed to hit her right eye, and he dug his nails in. Gasping in pain, Shi'ah threw Link to the side, and his fingers were ripped out of her eye. He lay there, panting and wincing in pain.

"You'll regret that," she snarled as she walked over.

"Never," Link breathed, and everything went black as his head was slammed into the stones below him.

**_Everything's going to be okay; your father is coming._**

--

"Who was that man?" Tetra demanded as she, Aryll, and Orca followed the two Koroks down the forest path.

"You'll find out," the Koroks both said, causing her to grind her teeth in frustration.

"He's a powerful man," Orca said softly.

"What?" Tetra asked, confused

"He said, 'That was an order', remember? No one without a great deal of confidence in themselves and with the power to back it up says something like that."

"Oh, ok…"

"There's something else; I find it very odd that he knew I was a Sheikah. We've tried to keep our heads low ever since the Great Flood, and especially when Ganon was out. We weren't exactly his favourite of the races. Though…" he paused, pursing his lips in thought.

"Though what?" Aryll asked, looking up.

"The way he said 'Sheikah'; it hasn't been said like that in centuries. Sturgeon unearthed that pronunciation years ago; he said it was used by the Leader to let scouts or fighters know when they were in trouble."

"So like you not moving when he said to?" Aryll asked, and Orca nodded.

"We're here!" Oakin suddenly exclaimed. The three looked ahead, gasping as they saw the Deku Tree's glade. When they got a little closer, a blonde woman gracefully rose from her seat beside the Deku Tree. Her violet eyes looked at them, concerned. Aryll stared at her, confused. She walked a little closer, stopping when the woman began to walk towards them as well. After the woman made it a few steps, she too stopped. Her face held a pained expression, as if she wanted to say something, but could not or did not know how.

"Ummm…" Tetra muttered, looking from Aryll to the woman. "Do you two know each other?"

"Aryll wouldn't remember!" a high pitched voice called out. All four of them looked down to see Bandam staring up at Aryll, perched on a tree root. The woman had paled, her lips drawn together in a thin line. Tetra wondered if she was going to vomit; she looked like she might.

**_That story is for Zelda to tell Bandam, not you,_** the Deku Tree chastised.

"Ze- Zelda?" Aryll stammered, looking back at the woman, who nodded weakly. Tetra blinked in confusion, was she the legendary princess who bore the Triforce of Wisdom? If it was, then she could understand Aryll's shock. Despite Sturgeon's lack of scholarly proof of the Hero of Time's wife, she had a pretty good idea who it was. The stories always had him falling in love with the beautiful princess Zelda, no matter what the outcome.

Aryll continued to stare at Zelda, paling as well. She then turned her eyes to the ground, as did the woman opposite of her.

_Oh come on!_ A voice whispered beside Tetra. _Just say it!_ Tetra gasped, turning to see a silvery outline of a creature that she knew to be a horse from tales she heard of them.

"E-Epona?" Zelda stammered, shocked as she looked up. "When did you get here?"

_Just now!_ The horse replied, and Tetra swore the animal grinned evilly. _It's too bad Aryll doesn't remember the world of the shadows of light. Then _she_ would have known what I was, unlike little Miss Princess here._

"Hey!" Tetra protested. Epona snickered, or at least made a noise that sounded like a snicker.

_It's really pretty now, with all the new foals out. There are way too many colts this year though. And you should see Taliesin's new filly! She looks just like me! And I'm going to teach her how to fight and be strong! Course he says I can't teach her to beat up all the colts, but pssh! What does he know? He's only male. _

"Epona…" Zelda said softly, starting to get annoyed. The mare continued though, oblivious.

_And all the flowers are out, so there's lots of new stuff to eat. Oh! And the goddesses visited after you and L-_

"Epona!" Zelda finally shouted, and the mare stopped, looking at her.

_Yes?_

"What do you want?"

_To annoy you._ Tetra thought that Zelda was going to start screaming at the smug horse; she certainly would have. Zelda just took a deep breath before she answered, calming herself.

"Then you've succeeded. Anything else?"

_Oh, right! Nayru said I'm to tell you to hurry up the family reunion. **He** is pissed and is almost done hurling rocks into the ocean so he doesn't kill somebody._

"Oh… great," Zelda sighed

_Well, I've got to go!_ The mare said cheerfully, and then whinnied a good-bye to everyone before she disappeared.

"Oh I am sure he will," Zelda muttered. "But what language will he do it in?"

"So, ummm… are you my… mother?" Aryll asked weakly.

"Yes… yes I am," Zelda said softly, smiling slightly. Aryll smiled in reply and was about to say something when the man the three had seen on the beach came storming in, followed by two very worried Koroks, and started to shout at Orca in some language. Aryll stepped back, surprised, and pressed up against her mother when Zelda stepped forward.

"_Syh'ai mal…" _Orca stammered, stepping back with his hands out. "I don't understand, what is he saying?"

"I don't know," Zelda said, gritting her teeth. "He always forgets to speak the current Sheikah tongue when he gets angry. Damn him; I can't reach him through the mental connection."

"What?" Orca asked, looking at her in surprise. Tetra looked up in surprise too; this man was a Sheikah? He looked nothing like what Orca had said the Sheikah looked like. And what was this mental connection?

"One moment," Zelda hissed, glaring at the man. "_Link! LINK!"_ she shouted, and when he still did not stop badgering Orca,

"_LINK 'AL INJA'IN!"_ The man finally stopped and turned to glare at her. He opened his mouth to yell back, but Zelda spoke first.

"You will calm down _now,"_ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Now what was that you were just yelling?"

**_And in this tongue, if you don't mind Link. I don't think they would be very amused if you told them all in Kokiri, just to make a point. You're lack of being able to write in anything but Kokiri has already given them enough headaches._** Link's eyes snapped, and Tetra was reminded of the expression that her Link got when he fought Ganon. He clenched his fists, and everyone was silent until his shoulders relaxed. Tetra then looked up at the Deku Tree, confused as to what language he was talking about.

"Kokiri?" she asked.

"The Koroks were once children, kept forever young by the Great Deku Tree's magic. They were the Kokiri, and thus they spoke, and some even wrote, Kokiri," Zelda explained for Tetra. "Link grew up in the forest."

Orca smiled slightly, thinking of the letter that had given Sturgeon so many headaches. It was no wonder his brother could not read it; the forest children did not leave any behind anything outside of the forest.

"So you are the Hero of Time." Link glared at Tetra, though it was mainly from annoyance.

"Yes, though please don't call me that," he said as politely as he could through clenched teeth.

"Then that creature, he wanted to talk to you?" Aryll whispered, and Link's expression softened some as he looked at her.

"Ganon wanted to gloat," he said sadly, his temper fading some, and then turned to face Orca.

"Now what the hell has happened? Am I to believe Ganon's gloat that my son was taken by a Sheikah? And above that, his kidnapper was a Sheikah_ Leader?_"

"Yes," Orca said sadly, looking Link in the eye. "The tribes have split, _Scion._ Link's kidnapper is angry; she and her kin believe that you deserted us, and thus they hate."

"They are your kin too," Link said softly, his shoulders slumping, "And mine. Now-"

"Umm, one minute," Tetra cut in quickly. "What do you mean exactly by 'Leader'? And why did you," she pointed at Orca, "call him a 'scion'?"

Zelda chuckled softly as she explained, "A Leader is to the Sheikah what a King or Queen was to the Hylians. Only it didn't matter if they were male or female. You've heard of Impa, right?" Tetra and Aryll both nodded. "Well, she was Leader when Link and I were young." Link snorted at this, but Zelda continued anyways.

"A _Scion_ is what the Leader's heir was called. Link's father, who was Leader, named him heir along with Link's cousin."

"Oh, ok," the two girls said, no longer quite as confused.

"One more question," Link said, looking at Orca questionably. "How did you know that? Father left no written will behind him."

"The complex that the other tribe is said to live in is the 'Al Inja'in complex. Also, tradition has it that the First Leader was the Sheikah Leader when the Kingdom of Hyrule was formed. I don't know when this started, but every Leader, of both tribes from what I understand, lists the Scion of the First Leader as their heir before their own Scion."

"Oh," Link said, blinking slightly. "And since father would then be considered the First…. Damn. I had hoped to avoid this." Orca chuckled slightly and was about to continue when the Deku Tree suddenly stiffened.

"What is it?" Link asked softly.

**_We have some visitors, _**the great tree said darkly. **_Aryll, you and Tetra go with the Koroks. Children_, hide.**

"But…" Tetra protested.

"Go Tetra, look after them," Zelda said, pushing her to follow the Koroks and Aryll.

"Oh, wait," Aryll stammered, reaching into her dress pocket. "This is yours, right?" She held up the blue Ocarina of Time. Smiling wanly, Link nodded and took the instrument, thanking her. She smiled slightly, and then ran off to join the hiding Koroks, Tetra behind her. After they were all hidden, the Deku Tree sighed.

**_They'll find the glade now,_** he warned.

"I'll handle them when they first get here," Zelda whispered, and the other two nodded. As princess of Hyrule, she had the authoritative voice necessary to make the visitors take them seriously. Not too long after she said that, too dark skinned men in dark blue body suits cautiously made their way into the glade. Their faces, except for their eyes, were hidden by white head wraps, which also held their knives and throwing stars that were not currently in their hands.

"Stop," Zelda commanded. "Who are you?" The two men straightened, staring at her.

"Our names are our own," the foremost one said softly in heavily accented common tongue. His companion grabbed his shoulder, indicating that he would handle the talking.

"You will give us yours?" he asked, stepping forward some. Link's eyes narrowed; this man was the senior scout, and he would be most likely the hardest one to deal with.

"Only if you give us yours first," Zelda replied, her tone regal and commanding. "You have come into the glade of the Great Deku Tree, and we are under his protection. Thus you are in our place, and it is by our rules that you must abide if you intend to keep this meeting peaceful."

"I am Jah'na 'al Kaiz'e. My partner is Haise 'al Qa'ra. Who are you, to know Sheikah ways so well?"

"First," Link asked, still standing to the back, "What tribe are you of?"

"The right one," came the blunt answer. Sighing, Link looked to Zelda for help.

"Both tribes say that," she said haughtily. "But you answered the question, so I will ask another one. What does your Leader believe concerning the Hero of Time?" Orca smiled to himself; this question was harder to weasel out of.

"That he is a traitor," Jah'na 'al Kaiz'e said softly. "Now, we have answered your three questions. What are your names?"

"I am Orca," the Sheikah said simply. Last names were given out to only close friends in his tribe, which neither of the two Sheikah standing opposite of him were. Both Jah'na and Haise narrowed their eyes at his statement; they knew what tribe he was from.

Zelda looked back at Link to see if he wanted to speak up first, her eyes widening when she saw his expression. She stepped back slightly, indicating that Orca do the same. Link could be unpredictable when he was this mad.

"I am the father of the young man that _your_ Leader kidnapped," he began darkly, stepping forward. He continued to walk towards the Sheikah in slow, measured steps as he talked, his voice slowly getting louder and louder. "I am the past, present and future; Azaman, _Link _(lii-n-sk last syllable is pronounced softly), and Enzaman. I am both Sage and Hero, bearer of the Ocarina of Time, the Master Sword, and once of the Triforce of Courage. I am a Prince of Hyrule through my mother and through marriage to the Princess Zelda, and a Scion of the Sheikah." By now he was directly in front of Jah'na and looked him squarely in the eye as his voice dropped to barely a whisper, "I am Link 'al Inja'in, son of Izal 'al Inja'in, the First Leader of the Sheikah people."

--

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long! My summer job was painting the house, and I had this huge writer's block. Then I didn't get my internet here at school set up until just now. It's been an epic to get this story finished, but the next chapter should be up sooner!

And for those who have been nice enough to keep up with "High King", it's going on hiatus and may even be taken down. I can't get anywhere with the story, no matter how hard I try. Nothing's working out anymore. It will stay on my computer though, so a newer and better version of it may appear. But thank you for reading it.

And thanks to everyone for your reviews! They made me very happy. :D

Oh, for those not too familiar with horse terms, a foal is a baby horse, a colt is a baby boy and a filly a baby girl. And Taliesin is Epona's brother from the prequel to this one.

(And if you want me to update faster, you could always review… :D )


	4. Serenade of Water

I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

--

The two Sheikah stared at Link, the eyes wide in shock. Slowly, they both dropped to their knees, bowing their heads as they pulled off their head wraps, their hidden knives clinking against one another in the process.

"Forgive us, Scion," Jah'na whispered, "We did not know."

"Did not know?" Link hissed angrily. "You are the keepers of Hyrule's past, of its history. I can understand you not knowing who my son is, for he was not born in this land, but not to know of what happened before that? Impa was given the tale, she was in it! and she passed it on. And you try to tell me you did _not know?_"

Both were silent, their silver heads bowed even lower. Link's eyes flashed, and he opened his mouth to speak, only to be quieted when Zelda placed her hand on his arm. Looking back at her, he sighed, his anger partly dissipating.

"You will take me to the Council, where I will discuss with them Shi'ah's behaviour," Link said darkly. "And once I have my son and have made sure he is alright, we will then talk about forgiveness."

"But Scion!" Haise protested, looking up as well, "It was Shi'ah who took your son, and without informing the Council!"

"I do not care!" Link thundered, his eyes hardening. "It was **you** who taught her to hate, it was **you** who fostered the false tale! I hold your **entire** tribe responsible for this deed, for it is **you** who are supposed to check the Leader! This is not the Hylian system where the King has supreme power!" The Sheikah had bowed their heads again, lower this time. Link stared at them for a few moments, trying to calm himself.

"Now, will you take me to the Council?" he whispered.

"Yes, Scion," Jah'na answered.

"Orca," Link said, turning to face him. "Are you able to reach your own tribe?"

"Yes, I still have my return powder," the elder Sheikah said.

"Then go and bring as many of the Council as you can, and your Leader as well. Tell them I order it if they will not come."

"I understand." Link then turned to Zelda, who smiled sadly.

"I'll watch over the girls, don't worry," she said softly in old Hylian. "Just bring him back."

"I will," Link replied in the old tongue. "Don't worry."

--

Link was dreaming again, lost in the grey world of mist and shadows. He now bore a long gash on his side. Though it was not deep, it had become infected since Shi'ah had inflicted it on her last visit. He did not know how long ago that was.

_**So what do you want to ask?** The tall woman asked, smiling down at him. Link leaned back, supporting himself on one of the grey clouds._

_"My father, who was he?" he asked. "You've told me what he was like, but you didn't say who he was."_

_**An oversight he will probably prefer,** the woman said, laughing. **But I will tell you as much as I can, without giving too much away. If you figure it out on your own, it's due to your own brain power.**_

_**He was an important man, in two lands. The second is still above water, for it does no interest Ganon. It is called Termina, and there your father is known as the Mask Hero.**_

_"The Mask Hero?" Link asked, confused._

_**Masks were very important in Termina when your father was there. In Hyrule, for he is part Hylian, he had many titles: Scion, Prince, Hero, and Sage.**_

_"Scion?"_

_**A Sheikah title.**_

_Link froze, looking at the woman in shock as she sat down beside him. Sighing, she turned to face him._

_**You must understand this part Link. The Sheikah were once one tribe, led by Leaders who were both rational and just. The Scions were the heirs of the Leaders. But not long after the goddesses flooded the land, the tribe split, one following the tale passed down by Impa and the other branching out on its own, growing more bitter by the year.**_

_**"**And _she_ is part of this bitter tribe?" Link asked softly, looking down._

_**Yes, she is Leader. She and her twin were captured by Ganon and imprisoned. They, as were many Sheikah, were tortured, and her brother had his eyes burned out in front of her. When Ganon cleared the fortress before you arrived, they were split. Her brother died not long afterwards.**_

_**I do not wish to belittle her actions or to excuse them,** the woman said quickly as Link opened his mouth angrily. **But that is what is behind her. Now, back to your father. He is old, older than the King of Red Lions, and even older than the kingdom of Hyrule. His father was a Sheikah Leader, and thus he is a Scion of the Sheikah. **_

_"So that means that I'm…"_

_**A Scion as well.**_

_Link sighed, staring down at his feet again. The woman smiled softly, placing her hand on his shoulder._

_**Let's talk about something else, ok? Don't worry about that right now; your father will sort it all out.**_

_"K," Link muttered, still looking down. The woman started to speak again, but stopped when she heard a distant voice._

_**I must go,** she said sadly. **My sisters are calling. Don't give up hope, young hero. I don't know if I'll be able to return before your father arrives, so I will say goodbye, Link 'al Inja'in.** Link looked up in shock as she said his name._

_**It is your full name,** she said softly as she disappeared. **Never forget it.**_

_"Link… 'al Inja'in…" he whispered. "Wonder what_ she_ will do if I tell her?"_

_--_

Fin looked up in shock as Orca entered his office. The two had grown up together, but Fin had not seen the other man for nearly thirty years.

"Orca! What brings you back?" he asked, greeting his friend with a smile. The other Sheikah chuckled, embracing Fin in greeting.

"Sit down," Orca said after the obligatory teasing of his friend's position. "You don't want to fall over from shock." Fin looked up as he sat, surprised.

"What do you mean? And no teasing."

"I'm completely serious," Orca promised, no longer grinning. "You remember why I left?"

"There was a prophecy portending the coming of a hero who would defeat Ganon; yes, I remember."

"Well, he did come, as you know. Link is his name, and he was kidnapped by one of the other tribe just over a week ago. She claimed that he was the son of the Hero." Fin frowned, not liking how the story was turning out.

"Is he?"

"Yes," Orca said, "And the Hero has returned." Fin stared at his friend, speechless.

"It is the truth," Orca said softly, sitting as well. "The Hero and the Princess were returned to the land because Link sealed Ganondorf with the Master Sword. Thus, their bodies were no longer required for the seal. They were sent to Forest Haven and were going to find Link and Aryll from there when Tetra, Aryll and I arrived at the island to ask the Deku Tree for help."

"You went to the Deku Tree instead of coming here for help?" Fin asked, slightly upset.

"I did not know if Link was the Hero's son then," Orca said apologetically. "I was almost certain, but, well…"

"Still," Fin said softly, "We are your kin." Orca closed his eyes and nodded sadly.

"Well, what it is that you need?"

"I need you to get as many of the Council as possible to come with you and me to the complex of the others."

"Why?" Fin was surprised; no one had ever even thought of going to where the other tribe resided.

"The Hero requests it. He said if you would not come, that it would then be an order."

"Does the Hero have a name?" Fin asked, thinking the matter over.

"Link 'al Inja'in." Fin looked up, disbelieving. Orca held his gaze, emphasizing that this was the truth.

"I'll get the Council," Fin said softly, standing. "Come, you'll have to tell this tale again."

--

_Link was dreaming again, only this time he was alone. Shi'ah had come and gone, but he had refrained from telling her his full name. What was the point; he would only be beaten more. She had become more and more vicious, and he did not know if he would be able to hang on until his father came. If his father came._

_He heard soft footsteps in the distance, and he looked around for the cause of them._

_"Whose there?" he called out. _

_A tall woman came out of the clouds, startling him. She stood almost a head taller than he, and her short white hair was pulled back in a tight ponytail. Her face was expressionless as she looked down at him, her arms folded._

_"Who are you?" he asked softly._

_"I am the Sage of the Shadows," the woman said, her face softening some. "I too knew your father, Link."_

_"You did?" he asked, surprised. He started to push himself to his feet, stopping when the sudden movement caused a pain in his side._

_"Sit," the woman commanded. "Sudden movements will cause the pain from out there to come in here." He sat and, after asking permission, she sat beside him._

_"Yes, I knew your father," she began in response to his earlier question. "We fought together, and I even taught him some. You could say that we were good friends."_

_"What was he like?" Link asked, eager to hear more of his father. The woman looked down at him, smiling slightly._

_"He was a good man, a just and courageous one. He could be indecisive and over emotional, but he was someone you could count on no matter what." Link looked down at his feet, remembering his earlier uncertainty of whether his father would come or not. A small pang of guilt nagged him, scolding him for ever doubting that his father would come._

_"Can you tell me his name?" Link asked after a few moments. "The other woman said that he would not want her to tell me."_

_"Then I won't remind you of it either," the tall woman said, turning her face back to look before her. "But I will tell you that you already know it."_

_"I do?" Link asked confused._

_"Yes. But there is something I can do. Come," the tall woman said, standing. "I will show you the land of your father." Link stood slowly, suddenly apprehensive._

_"You still haven't told me who you were," he said softly. The woman chuckled, shaking her head._

_"I have. As I said, I am the Sage of the Shadows. I just haven't told you my name. Now, look."_

_The sight took Link's breath away. He stood in the middle of a great field, full of knee high grass that waved in the breeze. To his left a huge forest rose, but despite its shady depths, he felt only comfort from it. He looked right, only to see a ranch sitting on the top of a small cliff that overlooked a winding river. _

_The river wove its way past a majestic castle, its drawbridge down and covered in people going in and out of the town within the walls._

_"That's Hyrule Castle, right?" Link asked, looking up. The woman nodded, her eyes proud. _

_"That it is. Look, see the mountain? That is where my home was; Kakiriko Village. Above on the mountain top is where the Gorons lived. They are the rock people, the other of the people made by Din."_

_"Did the flood…?" Link asked, trailing off._

_"No, the goddess sent them beyond the waters, to Termina. There they still live, as strong and as proud as ever._

_"That forest to the left is the Kokiri Forest, home to the Great Deku Tree and once the Kokiri. Now they are the Koroks. Your father lived there for quite awhile before he came out to Hyrule." Link looked up, surprised._

_"Is that why the Deku Tree thought I was . . . him? He said he thought I was someone else at first." The tall woman laughed, surprising him._

_"Yes, that would be why. Give you blue eyes, and you'd look just like him. You received his grandmother's eyes; good Sheikah ones. And don't look so surprised boy, even we Sheikah can laugh." _

_Link tensed at her statement, relaxing slightly when he realised that the green haired woman would not have sent someone who would harm him._

_"Any idea who I am now?" she asked softly, turning her eyes to look at him._

_"I don't know any Sheikah!" Link protested, "Well, besides _her_."_

_"Always say the name boy," the woman said sternly. "Otherwise that person becomes one you will fear, and there is no reason to fear someone who uses force and anger to gain power over another. Even if she is of my blood." Link looked up at the woman after her last comment, and he swore he saw sadness reflected in her eyes. But then she blinked, and her face was impassive again._

_"Well?"_

_Link gnawed on his lip, thinking. He did know one other Sheikah name, but he was not sure if it was this woman or not. The green haired woman had mentioned her name in passing, as one who knew the true tale of his father. And this woman said she knew him, and quite well, so maybe…_

_"Are you Impa?" he asked slowly and was rewarded by a turning of the corner of her mouth._

_"Pleased to make your acquaintance, little cousin," she said wryly, walking forward. "Now come, there is more to see." Link stared at her, confused, before running after her._

_"Wait, what did you mean by that?" he demanded when she stopped by the river._

_"My ancestor was the niece of your grandfather. Thus we are cousins, though very distant ones." Impa smiled a bit at the shock on Link's face._

_"You'll find you're related to pretty much everyone in the Sheikah Leading family and the Royal Family of Hyrule," she explained. "You can thank your grandparents for that."_

_"Oh. Ummm… what are we doing here?" Link asked, looking around._

_"Waiting." Impa was looking out past the river, up to where she had said her home was. Link followed her gaze, but soon grew bored of staring at the rock face and began to look around him._

_"So boy," Impa said once he turned his eyes back to the mountain. "What has Shi'ah told you?" Link winced at hearing her name, and Impa frowned slightly._

_"You have to get used to hearing her name," she said sternly. "Otherwise it will become a weakness."_

_"I understand," Link said softly, looking at the ground. "But… well… I don't know. Every time I hear someone say it, I just want to scream."_

_"Do you hate her?" Link looked up, shocked at Impa's question._

_"No! No … at least, I don't want to kill her or anything. I do wish I could fight back; maybe hurt her so she'd stay away for a while. But I don't wish she was dead, or that she had never been born." Impa looked down at him, and Link was surprised to see the respect in her eyes._

_"Then you will be fine, little cousin. You just need to learn to direct your emotions at the person, not the name. And that is for all cases." Link raised an eyebrow skeptically, unsure if what she spoke of would ever happen. Impa chuckled, shaking her head._

_"It will take a while," she warned. "Your father still has not gotten the hang of it; it's the Hylian blood in him, and you as well."_

_"Uh huh," Link muttered, looking back towards the castle._

_"Ah, here we go," Impa said smiling. "There they are." Link followed her gaze to see a raft floating up the river. It bore two people, a man and a woman. The man's eyes were ice blue, and his facial features, as well as his white hair, reminded him of Impa. The woman was Hylian, her hair honey gold and her lavender eyes sparkling._

_"Welcome your grandparents Link," Impa said, grinning. _

--

A/N: Whoo, this one got up sooner, eh? Hehe, thanks to everyone who reviewed! Sorry for those of you who were hoping to see Link Sr. meet Shi'ah; that'll be the next chapter!

Oh, and Fin's name comes from the Fin Whale. Since Orca is named after the Orca Whale and such. Yeah…


	5. Song of Storms

I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

--

_Izal looked up, concerned._

_"Shi'ah is coming," he warned, standing. Link looked down, apprehensive._

_"Don't worry," Xyli whispered, putting her hands on his shoulders. "You're destiny is not to die by her hands."_

_"You'll be fine Link," Izal added as Xyli stood. "Just do not fall asleep in this dream world, whatever you do."_

_"Why not?" _

_"Then you will enter a sleep so deep that no one will be able to wake you," he warned his grandson. "So please, stay awake."_

_"I will, don't worry," Link said, smiling weakly as he too stood._

_"Goodbye then, little one," Xyli whispered, embracing him. "Tell your father we said hello."_

_And they were gone, the world of old Hyrule gone with them. Link found himself back in the grey shadows that had become so familiar._

_"So no sleeping, eh?" he whispered, looking around him. And soon, he too was gone as he was _woken up by Shi'ah.

--

Link had promised himself he would be calm and rational. He tried as hard as he could, but after the transfer device malfunctioned and landed them on the opposite of the island as the entrance, and after they spent a couple of hours slogging through marshland and over boulders, he had had enough. Thus when they reached the complex, all hopes of rationality had left him.

He strode though the hallways, guided by instinct. Haise and Jah'na hurried behind him, exchanging worried looks.

A harried woman dashed into the hallway, calling for Haise. She gave Link a flustered, questioning look when they paused, and then turned her attention to Haise.

"Your wife," she panted. "She's in labour. I promised her I'd have you come as soon as you returned." Haise had paled slightly and looked at Link.

"Go," Link whispered. "Your wife needs you." Haise looked at the female Sheikah and then looked back at Link, shaking his head.

"No Scion, I will go with you," he said. Turning back to the Sheikah in front of him, he said, "Tell Miae that I will be there as soon as I can." Nodding, the woman ran back the way she had come, and Link looked at Haise, his face devoid of the rage that had once been there.

"After you, Scion," Haise said, and Link, after giving him a look of gratitude, continued on his way to the Council's chambers.

--

_Link was having trouble keeping his eyes open. His fever had flared up, and it was affecting him even in the dream world._

_"Hey!" a voice shouted behind him. Link rolled over slowly, blinking in surprise. There before him floated three fairies._

_"Here he is Saria!" one of them called. He noted that it gave off a yellowish glow. The one right beside it gave off a dark red glow, whereas the one in front was blue. _

_"HEY!" it shouted, causing Link to sit up and try to hit it. _

_"Navi!" another voice scolded, and Link looked over to see two green clad kids come towards him. "Be nice, he's sick!" The blue fairy, Navi, muttered darkly, bobbing out of his reach._

_"Yeah!" the yellow one echoed, "Or I'll tell -"_

_"Tatl!" the green clad girl scolded. The boy and the red fairy snickered. Link looked at the five, confused._

_"Who are you?" he asked softly._

_"I'm Mido, the old boss of the Kokiri!" the boy proudly declared._

_"And I'm Saria," the girl said smiling. "These are Navi, Tatl and Tael," she said, pointing to each one in turn._

_"We're here to make sure you stay awake!" Tael chimed, and the other two fairies bobbed up and down in agreement._

_"Yay…" Link muttered._

_"No whispering!" Navi scolded, and Link glared at her._

_"Who are you?" he asked, exasperated. She puffed up, at least he thought she did as her globe of light around her, and proceeded to explain how important she was. After about five minutes, the yellow fairy, Tatl, got her to stop by starting a game of fairy tag. Link sorted through it all and decided that the only real important part was that she had helped his father out. She also left his father's name out. _

_--_

Shi'ah looked up in shock as the two large doors leading to the Council's room were thrown open. A man with silvering blonde hair strode into the room, his blue eyes flashing in anger. She sucked in her breath, could it be?

The guards, five of them, dashed out in front of him, their blades pointing to his throat. He pulled out a short blade, the same style as the Sheikah blades, and presented it, flat of the blade facing forward, in front of his neck, protecting it. The guards stopped, and Shi'ah's eyes widened as they stepped back. The Council members beside her were also surprised, but they all saw the reason when the blade came into view.

He held the Blade of Impa.

--

The blade Link held in his hand had been given to him by the Deku Tree before he left the island with Haise and Jah'na. Impa had left it with the great tree before she moved on; it was the blade of the Leader. On the flat of the blade was a scene from the creation of Hyrule. By the hilt, Din was raising the earth. Her figure was incised in the blade, a series of shining red lines. At the end was Nayru, her blue figure looking down upon the earth benevolently. And in the middle was Farore, who had long hair that formed the horse below her.

He did not know that this tribe had been searching for the blade for centuries, nor did he know exactly how important it was to them. All that mattered to Link was that it caught the attention of the Council and of the young woman who sat at its head, in the seat of the Leader.

"What do you want?" an aged Sheikah demanded after the guards had all backed away. Link glanced at him, lowering the blade, and then directed his stare back to the young woman.

"Where is my son?" he demanded, his voice low. Murmurs answered his demand, shocked. No one had dared to ignore the question of an elder before.

"You are a stranger to our ranks; answer the question!" a younger member of the Council snarled, angry at being interrupted.

"I want my son, alive," Link replied, his eyes still fixed on the now smiling young woman.

"Your name?" the elder who had asked the first question asked.

"Link 'al Inja'in." He took a small amount of pleasure at seeing the shock on her face. "Link 'al Inja'in, son of Izal 'al Inja'in, the First Leader, and Xyli, princess of Hyrule." The room was silent until the young woman shouted at him, her eyes flashing,

"You lie!"

--

Shi'ah was furious. He dared come in, bearing the Blade of Impa, and then lied about his family to them? How low could he get?

"I don't need to lie, traitor," he said softly, his eyes still hard. She gritted her teeth; so he had gotten her to explode first, so what?

"You are the traitor, Hero of Time."

"Call me what you will, but give me my son back, alive." Shi'ah smirked as she answered him.

"You are in no position to make demands. Only I know where he is, and it will stay that way." She saw his blue eyes snap, and she smiled even wider, waiting for him to explode, to show his true self.

He stared at her, his mouth twisted into a thin line and his eyes no longer flashing, but staring at her with an intensity that she had not thought possible for a mortal. Then, just as he opened his mouth, a flash of silver light exploded through the room. There before them stood Time, the only goddess able to visit the mortal world.

**_This ends now,_** the goddess intoned. **_I have had enough of your foolishness, girl._** Shi'ah stared at the silver haired, grey clad goddess, her eyes wide. She was glad of the veils that covered all but the goddess's mouth, for she did not think she would have survived the stare Time was directing her way if it was uncovered.

**_I am tired of moping up after Ganon and the Three. I am tired of fixing the time stream because once again, it was the only thing that could be used to stop that pig. And I WILL NOT do it again. I WILL NOT have you give Ganon another chance out, do you hear me?_**

"But I'm not!" Shi'ah protested, feeling like a little girl being scolded by a school teacher.

**_You hate, and that is enough! Now, give the youth back to Link, and soon. Otherwise,_** the goddess turned, her voice lowering menacingly, **_otherwise you and your people will not be around to worry about the wrath of the Three. And not even Farore can save you from me._** And then she was gone, another flash of silver light exploding through the room.

"Shi'ah…" one of the council members whispered, but she did not hear him. She stared at the Hero, her eyes wide.

"Give me my son," he repeated, softly.

"I have no choice, do I?" she snarled. "First Ganondorf, now Time. What else do you want me to do, to become?"

"I did not ask you to become what you are!" he shouted, his patience snapping. "You chose to hate, to be tainted by Ganondorf!" She gasped, stepping back a pace. How did he know about her and Ganondorf?

"Haise and Jah'na told me," he answered, his voice raised. "And you have become what he wanted. A creature who only hates, who lives off despair and misery it creates in others. It is people like you who allow Ganon to thrive; it is your hate that keeps him strong. You are his pawn, Shi'ah, and nothing more." She stared at him in silence, her eyes wide, understanding finally what Time had said to her. The council members around her were murmuring to each other; some were staring at her, waiting to see what she would do.

"Follow me," she snarled, turning her back to him. She walked towards the passageway to the cell. Suddenly, her mind snapped.

"A pawn I may be, but you are too, Hero. A pawn to the goddesses, who laugh at this tragedy," she whispered, turning her head back to face him.

"What did you say?" Link asked worried, not liking the sudden turn in her expression. Her face was now devoid of the intense hate she had contained, and a desperate light had taken root in her eyes.

"She never said whether I had to hand him over dead or alive, did she, Hero of Time?" she asked him, a small smile coming to her face as she pivoted and ran, dashing for the cell far below ground.

She heard him curse and take after her, and she laughed in reply. She now longer cared about herself, her reputation, the boy, the Hero, her people. All was meaningless to her now, and she would finish what she had originally planned to do.

The boy would die.

--

_He was cold. Cold and annoyed. Mido, Tatl and Tael had left, leaving him with Saria and Navi. He did not mind Saria, for all she did was play her ocarina, but Navi he was ready to kill, and soon. Her loud and screechy voice grated on his ears, and she seemed to take particular delight in screaming "hey!" at him whenever his head started to droop._

_Saria suddenly stopped playing her ocarina, and Navi stopped her annoying story she had been trying to tell Link. He looked over at Saria, confused._

_"What's going on?" he asked softly._

_"You must wake up," she answered, looking him right in the eye. "Now."_

_"What?" _

_"WAKE UP!!" she and Navi shouted, and he jumped, _his eyes opening to see the cell door open. Shi'ah strode in, a short sword in her hand and a crazed expression on her face.

"Too bad the Hero couldn't catch up to me," she said softly, standing over him. The fever raged in Link's head, and nothing she said made any sense to him. He knew something was off, though, and when she moved to stab him, he rolled away desperately, trying to make his body obey him.

She laughed at him, the empty sound echoing off the walls. Link looked up at her, terrified. Something was very wrong, and he could not figure out what. He just wanted to sleep, though he knew if he let himself fall, he would be dead.

Shi'ah suddenly leapt for him, screaming as she thrust her arm forward to stab him. He tried to push himself to the side, but his legs failed to work, and he fell, his eyes squeezed shut.

After a few moments, he opened them, amazed that he was still alive. He could dimly see a gleaming shield surrounding him, and Shi'ah's back was to him. She was facing a tall man with sharp blue eyes. Before his eyes closed, Link smiled to himself.

His father had come.

--

Link snarled inwardly; it was much harder for him to cast Nayru's Love than it had ever been. He supposed it was because his powers were tied up in the slowly disappearing seal, and then he thrust the problem from his mind. There was a more pressing one in front of him.

"Leave him alone," he whispered softly.

"Why?" the crazed Sheikah asked.

"You and your people are now safe from Time's wrath; I have my son. Don't do anything stupid," he said quietly, watching her intently. He did not know what she would do, and he did not know how long he could keep the shield up. She smiled wickedly at him, as if sensing his trouble in keeping the shield up at full strength.

"How long can you keep that thing up?" she giggled, and Link gritted his teeth as he answered.

"Long enough to kill you."

She gasped, staring at him in surprise at the answer.

"What, no saving me, no hero crap?" she snarled angrily.

"I can't save you," he answered, knitting his brow at the increasing burden of the shield. "You have to save yourself; you got into this mess on your own." She stared at him, and he saw a small amount of hesitation and apprehension creep into her expression.

"Let my son go," he whispered, "And I will let you chose where to go after this. Whether you wish to live, and be subject to the ruling of the Council, or to end your life as you see fit, I don't care. Just let my son go." She cocked her head at him, and Link let himself hope as he saw defeat and rationality return to her face. She sighed, looking at her sword and then at the shield behind her. She turned her eyes back to his, searching them.

"Please," Link asked softly. "Let my family stay intact." She closed her eyes, as if in pain, and dropped her sword. The metallic clang resounded through the cell, and she sighed, looking back at him.

"He's yours, Hero." She walked past him, striding up to her chamber past the startled faces of her people. There were strangers there, as well, but she did not care. A hand grabbed her arm, but she wrenched it free and kept walking. Voices called her name, but she ignored them. They blended together anyways; she could not discern who they were from. And then she closed her door with a click, locking it behind her.

Link had dropped the shield and knelt by his son. He gingerly picked him up, noting the gash on his side. When he moved his son's right arm, the youth winced, his eyes opening briefly.

"Da…d?" he whispered.

"Shh, I'm here," Link whispered, "Everything's going to be okay." His son smiled, closing his eyes again and replied,

"I knew you'd come."

--

A/N: Sorry again that this took so long. Time wasn't behaving, and neither was Shi'ah. Blame them.

Anywho, thanks for all the reviews!! I really appreciate them, and I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner.


	6. Bolero of Fire

I don't own anything to do with Zelda.

--

Link woke in a strange place, and in a bed. He felt groggy, and nothing was clear before his eyes. His right arm was numb and when he turned his head to look at it, he saw that it had been splinted. He sat up slowly; noting the folding of the bandages wrapped around his middle, and looked around. The room he was in was small and utilitarian; his was the only bed and there was a small table to his left and a chair between it and the bed. His blankets were warm, yet they were not heavy.

The door opened, and he tensed. The figure in the doorway paused, saying something to someone on the other side of the door; the person replying sounded familiar, but he did not understand what either of them said. Sighing, the figure continued its way into the room, and Link saw that it was an old Sheikah woman, her back slightly bent with old age. Her white hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and her face was lined with great age.

She smiled when she saw that Link was up, chuckling when she saw him tense under her gaze.

"I won't hurt you child. No one will," she said softly, "You're a Scion, and under Time's protection." Link relaxed some, though he was confused as to what she meant; his mind was still muddled some from the fever. The old woman chuckled again as she pulled out some herbs from the drawers of the table.

"I'll let him explain it to you," she said, mixing some medicine for him, "But first, drink this." She handed him the concoction in a glass cup. He looked at it, slightly repulsed by the muddy green colour and the not-so-pleasing smell coming off of it.

"Drink," the old Sheikah commanded and, wrinkling his nose, Link complied. He gagged at the taste, but managed to keep it down. Nodding in approval, the old woman took the glass and turned to leave the room.

"Stay awake if you can," she said before she left, "I'm going to get him."

_Him?_ Link wondered, racking his brain. He tried to stay awake, but the remnants of the fever and the medicine soon had him asleep.

--

Running his hand through silvering hair, Link sighed. Zelda had told him that it was just as bad to be in the chair in an infirmary room as it was to be lying in the bed, but he had not believed her until today.

He sat in the room's sole chair, beside the bed that his son lay in, waiting for him to wake. When the healer had walked out, saying that his son had woken, his heart had jumped into his throat. He had been mildly disappointed to find Link asleep when he returned to the room; he was more relieved to have time to think about everything. Not that he was thinking; he was worrying. Yet in between thoughts of would-be's and could-be's, his mind turned back to when he had slowly dragged himself up the stairs to speak to _his_ father, all those years ago.

A shifting noise caught his attention, and Link looked down at the bed just as the youth began to wake. Brown eyes met his blue ones, confused until the events of two days previous came back.

"Dad?" Link asked, confused, and he nodded, smiling weakly.

"How do you feel?" he asked. _I guess starting with the present will be for the best…_he thought, watching his son's expression as he thought of how to reply.

"Tired, and my side itches." Link laughed, relieved at the answer.

"That's good; your body's recovering." The youth smiled and then pushed himself up, slowly, into a sitting position. Link let him do so, ready to help if it looked like the motion was too much for him in his wounded state.

Sheikah voices filtered into the room; one mentioned Shi'ah's name, and Link tensed, his hands gripping the blankets.

"They won't harm you," Link said softly.

"I know," came the reply, "the old woman told me. But still, when I hear her, no, Shi'ah's, name, I feel like she's going to come tearing in." By now he was looking down at his hands, which had released the blankets. A soft smile on his face, Link put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"It's okay," he said as Link looked up in surprise, "I did the same thing after Majora turned me into a deku scrub. It may take a while, but you can get over it."

"I… I remember that story," Link said softly, smiling though his eyes betrayed his need to scream and cry, to release all the pent up emotions he had been carrying for so long. Shaking his head, Link chuckled and pulled his son into a hug.

"You should, you asked for it enough."

Returning the hug, Link buried his head in his father's shoulder, relaxing fully for the first time since he had been captured.

"I'm glad that you're back, Dad."

--

Orca sighed, bored out of his mind. An unspoken agreement had all the Sheikah, except for those who were healers, away from the infirmary. While he agreed with it, he was still bored. He had never been cut out for Council squabbles.

"Silence!" Fin suddenly shouted, and Orca returned from his musings. The various Council members of both tribes- all involved in their own soft arguments- turned to look at Fin.

"This ends now," he said, exasperated. "We are Sheikah, not Hylians. We should be able to end this without sounding like old women haggling on market day. And we will." He looked out across the room, daring anyone to disagree.

"I know none of you want to loose your positions should the tribes join, and none should. We'll expand the Council to encompass everyone; there will be no more division, in any matters."

"And who will be Leader?" someone asked quietly. Orca turned to look and the speaker, and then looked at Finn, only to realize that everyone was now looking at him.

"The Scion is the heir," Finn began slowly, and Orca sighed, picking up where his friend dropped off.

"But he has stated that he will not be Leader, and after what happened, Link will not either. This is our problem, and one we must solve. The Leader must be from one of the two tribes." Murmurs followed his statement, some disgruntled and some relieved. They stopped as an aged Sheikah stood and gazed around the room. He was Jae'hnam, the eldest of Shi'ah's tribe.

"Then, I suggest," he began in a strong voice for one so old, "That we follow Finn."

--

Shi'ah stared at her bed before her, a silver knife in her hand. It was the symbol of the Leader, replacing the once missing Blade of Impa. Closing her eyes, she smiled softly to herself and walked forward. She stopped, two paces from the bed, and tossed a red powder onto it, causing it to burst into flames. When they rose to the ceiling, she strode forward, the blade held to her heart, until she tripped on a dislodged floor stone. The blade pierced her heart, and she fell onto her pyre, smiling. She was going home.

--

As the Ocarina's noted faded, Link opened his eyes to see the dense forest of the Deku Tree before him.

"There is an entire crew of sailors gaping at us," his father remarked dryly, and he turned to look behind them, at the sea. Smiling, Link waved at them and a couple waved back, their mouths open wide.

Link turned back to look at the forest, suddenly hesitant to go into its green depths. So much had happened, so much had changed; how would he be able to even begin explaining it to Tetra and Aryll? And his mother was in there too; he could barely remember her. What was she expecting?

His trepidation must have shown on his face, for his father rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Take it one step at a time," Link told his son, "And they'll understand." Nodding, Link stepped into the forest, onto the path that would take him to the Deku Tree's glade. His father followed him, pride and relief shining from his eyes.

The road home had been started.

----

A/N: Ok, I am SO sorry this took so long. I lost inspiration. Umm.. so yeah. Sorry.


End file.
